Judge rules theft case against ex-Westmoreland purchasing head can proceed

Prosecutors say Kristopher Cardiff was behind a payroll scheme to misappropriate $9,800 in overtime payments.

Kristopher Cardiff is charged with four counts of theft. TribLive

Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Stewart II, in a one-paragraph order rejected a defense attorney that sought dismissal of the case against Kristopher Cardiff, who prosecutors contend was behind a yearlong payroll scheme to misappropriate $9,800 of unapproved overtime payments.

Cardiff, 48, was charged with four felony counts of theft and misdemeanor offense for allegedly misappropriating public funds.

Cardiff, through defense attorney David Colecchia during a pretrial hearing in November, argued that the county commissioners signed off through a backdoor deal for Cardiff, a deputy and his four-person unionized staff to receive additional overtime pay.

County officials denied that claim. They testified Cardiff unilaterally ordered in mid-2023 that payroll records be changed to reflect that he and his staff receive pay for an additional 30 minutes of work each day after his formal request to do so was rejected by commissioners.

Cardiff was fired as the county’s head of purchasing in September 2024 after two years on the job. He continues to serve as Trafford Borough council president.

The judge wrote that his ruling to reject Cardiff’s pretrial motion for dismissal was based on testimony from November’s pretrial hearing that featured testimony from Commissioner Ted Kopas, Controller Jeffrey Balzer and county finance director Meghan McCandless who refuted the defense’s claim that Cardiff had legal authority to approve the additional pay.

Stewart also noted Colecchia failed to submit written arguments in support of his dismissal request by a mid-January deadline.

Colecchia did not respond to a request for comment on Friday.

A date for Cardiff’s trial has not been set.